Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys were a San Francisco, California based band (originally from Omaha, Nebraska) whose music, in a rockabilly vein, was dubbed "pornobilly" thanks to their lyrics and song titles. Buck Naked himself (whose real name was Phillip Bury) used to turn up on stage wearing only cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, a guitar, and a strategically placed toilet plunger. Filling out the band were Buck's brother, Stephen Bury (taking the stage name "Hector Naked") and David Wees (known on stage as "Stinky LePew"). Despite its name, the rest of the band were always fully clothed on stage.
Often compared to The Cramps (both in sound and in content), their live shows were highly regarded (at least by those not dissuaded by the band name), and one show made the front page of the Wall Street Journal when it was picketed by a number of ministers and Christian groups attempting to, in their words, 'rid the city of demons and high-ranking evil spirits'.
Everything came to an abrupt end in 1992 when Buck Naked was murdered while walking his dog in Golden Gate Park's 'Panhandle' by a man named Michael Kagan, an obsessive pigeon feeder. Kagan had threatened to kill anyone who disturbed his beloved pigeons - Buck Naked and his dog provoked him enough to murder.
Their releases comprised an EP, titled Teenage Pussy from Outer Space, and an eponymous (and posthumous) album.
Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys came out of the S.F. Bay Area in the mid 1980s, around the same time as Primus. Sharing many aesthetic similarities, the two bands became friends. The latter would make numerous tributes to Buck, either in their videos: "Mr. Krinkle" features a painting, "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" features a bass drum head, and in the album credits to 1993's Pork Soda. Buck Naked's name is said to be blacked out in some copies of Pork Soda.
Both Buck and his brother worked for some time at the Berkeley Square in Berkeley, California, during the late 1980's; they helped host some notable bands like The Cure, Ten Thousand Maniacs, and Chris Isaak, to name a few, during the winter and spring of 1987.
After Buck's untimely demise, a tribute concert was held in the band's hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Many local artists who were connected with Buck performed. A particular hit of the evening was an original song entitled "Fuck You Buck," written for the occassion and performed by Omaha rock band Town Crier. The song's lyrics were written by vocalist Scintilla Teric, a friend of Buck's, and were intended as a tribute. (To those who were offended, Scintilla insisted "Buck would get it.") The song became a staple of the band's sets for years after that and served to keep the music and memory of Buck alive.
Buck is missed by those who worked along side him and enjoyed his infectious laugh and easygoing manner.
